Jacob j



' nitrh listes ,etntlffta J'Aoon J. FR,IE ND0F AL'IoNA, ILLINOIS. f

I Letters PatentNo. 60,873, dated January 1, 1867 dln rlghnle marit tu in tigen ttttettltttntantmahiug gaat uf therme.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: y l A Be'it known that I, JACOB J. FRIEND, of Altona, in the county of Knox, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Portable Farm Fence; ancl'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the construction and arrangement of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- I Figure 1 is a. perspective view of my improved portable farm fence.. l

p Figure 2, a view of panels, (to which the rails are attached,) showing the mannerof connecting them with footboard and brace'by means of bolts and keys.

Figure 3, a View of bolt and key.

'Figure 4, a viewlof panels, showing the manner .of projecting the rails beyond the panels of one section, so 4as to overlap on to the back edges of the panel, and intervene between the rails of the panels of another section, to which they may be connected. p

Like letters in the dierent figures of the drawings indicate like parts.

J My invention consists in constructing the panels of a distinct and uniform style, and in so arranging the rails in their attachment to the panels as to leave a suiiicientprojection of the rails-'beyond the panels, so that every section of fencing, when put up and connected together, Vwill havethe projecting rails Aoverlap on to the back edges of the panels, and intervene between the rails thereon of each section; whereby, in acontinuous line of fencing, the whole line is thus kept steady and substantial in its upright position,.the projecting rails o f each panelled section mutuallyv supporting and holding those of the connecting sections. `By the distinctness and uniformity of thesty`le of the pan el, any two panels of opposite sections will make a connection, and thereby form a. straight line of fencing. v l

My invention alsotrelates to the construction of the'foot-board, with stakes permanently attached thereto, i and brace, in combination with the-panels for supporting the fencing, when the whole is secured by bolts and keys, the object of .which is to keep thepanels perfectly tight at all vtimes in 'their connections with the braces and foot-boards, which cannot be done so well by the simple `use of pins.v It will do it for a time, but after the `fence has been in use for awhile, the holes for the reception of the pins increase in size, from the wear caused by the insertion and withdrawal of the pinswhen necessary; consequently they become loose, and the etect is, in a' furious storm of wind-the resistance presented by the panels and the rails to the same-the fencing or a portion of it is liable to become,prostratedbyreason of the shaking and straining of it from the wind operating to 'Work out one or more of the pins from the holes. Aside from this, whatever the causes may be to aifect the fence, it is obvious that the pins are not so effective as bolts and keys in making theconnections of the panels with the braces and foot-boards close and tight, and thus keep them in this way as long as'the fence lasts; Whereaaby'the wedging force of the keys in the bolts, if it is discovered at anytime there is looseness or unsteadi-ness of the panels in their connections, it is rectified by tapping the key with a hammer Wherever it is found along the line of fencing, which at -once renders the same perfectly tight; I l

v llhere is a feature of my invention which, however simple it may fappear and readily suggestive to any one, is, nevertheless, desirable for the purpose which it attains: it is the application and; combination of wire with the panels, which is stretched from panel to panel and secured to the tops of them, for preventing animals from 'interfering with the fence. l,

My fence is constructed and arranged as follows, as willbe seen by the letters of reference herewith indicated on the drawings. A are the panels, B the rails, C the brace, D`the foot-board,-E thebolt, F the key, and G the wire. A section of the fencing is made in this wise: Two-panels of the proper width and length are-first selected. The edge of thc` panels is then spacedoi for the rails, which are securely nailed thereto, with their ends projecting suiiiciently beyond the panels to overlap on to the back edges of the panels of the connecting` sections, and ht between the rails of the same when formed, and when the panels .are/adjusted relatively to the braces and footboards, (see iig. 4.) The spaces allowed on the edgeioi` the panels l'forvthe rails are to be of a suftioient width to admit of the `projections of any rail in the construction and putting up of the sections to fit just loose enough to get them in the spaces, and yet tight enough to aiford abearing` between the railsof the flierent sections, so that each'section will mutually support the other to a certain citent longitudinally, which thus gives 'a {irm joint to the sections. The foot-boards are made f the proper' width and length,'and have stakes, a, of the proper size, sharpened at one end and nailed to them, (see iig. 1.) When the place has been selected for the putting up of the fence, a foot-board is first arranged, with its stakes driven into the ground. Two see-tions of the fencing are then put up, with the panels placed againstA the sides of the inner end of the `foot-board and the stake, (see g'. 1.)' vThe bolt, (see g. 3,) with a snitable'slot,'b, constructed in it, is passed through a hole in the panels and'thefootLboard. `yThe key, of a Wedge shape, (see same igure,) is then inserted in the slot. This secures the bottoms of the panels to the foot-board. One end of the brace for supporting the fence is placed betweenl the panels, near the top of them, and secured with bolt and key in a like manner as belewv, (see fig. 1,) one bolt and key of which are considered all that it is necessary to show. The other end of the brace is secured the same to the outer end of the foot-board,to render the connection of the sections thus made -close and tight. The d-iierent keys are then forced downin the slots of the bolts against the sides of the panels and foot-board.- rllhe line of fencingl is continued as far as desired by the addition of other sections'to the two first, and in the manner as herein described, and connecting successively with one another.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The rails B, so arranged as to have their ends project from the panels A. of one section, on to the back edges of the panels 'of another section, and intervene between' the rails of the panels thereof, and the bolt E and key F, in combination with the panels, brace, and foot-board, substantially in the ymanner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

JACOB J. FRIEND.

Witnesses:

I'RA E.- HARSH, N. E. PnrLnIPs. 

